Expectations were low going into the Ukraine peace talks in Minsk, Belarus but on Thursday... the welcome news from German Chancellor Ankela Merkel that rebels had agreed to a ceasefire startingFeb 12, 2015

Patna, Feb 12 (ANI): After Patna High Court on Thursday declined to stay JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar's election as the new leader of the legislature party, he came out addressing mediapersons over the same. Kumar also alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi is indulging in 'horse trading' and also said that he is playing cast card in the state. Kumar said that Manjhi got a license of horse trading since the time he returned from Delhi. He also said that Manjhi was never elated as chief minister of state due to his caste and that the state chief minister now is using the same for his benefit.Feb 12, 2015

Srinagar, Feb 12 (ANI): Life returned to normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday after four consecutive days of shutdown and curfew in the region. Shops and markets reopened in summer capital Srinagar and other major towns of the valley. A shopkeeper, Bashir Ahmad, said his business was affected with the shutdowns and urged for permanent solution. Separatists had called for shutdown to mark second anniversary of hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Besides, Hurriyat Conference had appealed people to observe a complete shutdown as a youth, named Farooq Ahmad Bhat, was killed when forces allegedly opened fire on a group of stone-pelting protesters in Palhallan area of north Kashmir on Monday (February 09).Feb 12, 2015

New Delhi, Feb 12 (ANI): BJP on Thursday refuted Bihar's fomer Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's allegations of 'throttling democracy'. IT and Communication Minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad while speaking at a press conference said that Kumar has imposed baseless and untrue allegations on BJP and that the party condemns his statement. He added that BJP did not expect a person of Nitish Kumar's stature to stoop to this level.Feb 12, 2015

Patna, Feb 12 (ANI): In a major boost to Nitish Kumar, the Patna High Court on Thursday ordered that he can continue as the leader of JD (U) Legislative Party. The order came on a review petition filed by JD (U) against the court's order that had stayed Nitish's election. A division bench of Chief Justice LN Reddy has modified its earlier order of stay on Nitish Kumar's election as the new leader of the legislature party, PK Shahi, who has filed a petition challenging the stay and requested it be withdrawn, told media that he can continue as party legislative leader.Feb 12, 2015

Ranchi, Feb 12 (ANI): Maoists on Thursday called for a 24-hour shutdown in Ranchi against the government's land acquisition bill and blew up some railways tracks in Gomoh, Bokaro and Dhanbad regions of Jharkhand state. The shutdown had an impact as no public transport was available for daily commuters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) passed an urgent executive order in December 2014 to ease land-acquisition rules in sectors like power, housing and defence to kick-start hundreds of billions of dollars in stalled projects, though investments are unlikely to flow in immediately.Feb 12, 2015

==THIS STORY REPLACES THE VERSION THAT RAN EARLIER=== Veteran CBS news correspondent Bob Simon was killed in a car crash in New York City Wednesday night. Police say Simon was a passenger in a hiredFeb 12, 2015

==THIS STORY REPLACES THE VERSION THAT RAN EARLIER=== Veteran CBS news correspondent Bob Simon was killed in a car crash in New York City Wednesday night. Police say Simon was a passenger in a hiredFeb 12, 2015

A twisting solar flare erupting into space......just one of many captivating images taken by the Solar Dynamics Observatory during its five years in space. To mark the milestone, NASA has released aFeb 12, 2015